Mirrored Concept: How it Was
by Miss Novella
Summary: My first outline of Mirrored Conscious condensed into a oneshot.


That girl approached everyone in their class, offering a helping hand. She would bring a bento for Naruto, along with extra snacks for Choji. She complimented Hinata and manipulated her into making friends with Shino. She drew comics to help Kiba and Naruto understand history better. Ino and Sakura made up shortly after their fight due to her interference. Sasuke is advised by her on how to gain his brothers attention.

She pretended to have subpar intelligence, yet dragged Kiba and Naruto to the library to study. Any stray kunai were dodged on reflex, but she scarcely bothered to avoid being hit in taijutsu. Any bullies were deftly denied when teasing others, but she did not move to stop insults to herself.

Kamoto Setsuna drove Nara Shikamaru mad. Her intentions are unclear, motives frustratingly blank, and she has never once so much as spoken a word to him. Not even a glance. She was so damn _troublesome._

The end of their fourth year, Shikamaru is the only one who notices her wistful expression. It was almost… sad. Why would Setsuna look so upset? She'd never shown anyone anything but a smile. A few days later he understood. Setsuna would not be returning to class. No goodbye. Just a blankness where the greenette should have been.

* * *

Years pass by, and Setsuna is slowly left behind and forgotten. Faintly, they class can recall a green haired girl. (What was her name? Something with a S, I think.) No one asks. No one thinks to.

A few days after the failed Sasuke retrieval mission, Shikamaru lays down on the sunny hill to cloud watch. Someone approaches, footsteps deliberately making noise. He cracks an eye open reluctantly. Mint shaded hair, pulled up into shoulder length pigtails. Silvery eyes staring amusedly into his own brown ones. She wears a white and red checkered sundress, swaying in the wind. "Hello."

Shikamaru propels himself into a sitting position at her greeting. He stares at her blankly for a moment. "Kamoto-san?"

She laughs, her voice flowing like a waterfall. "You remember me, hm? I'm flattered."

He looks at her critically, debating if he should even bother to talk to her.

A pained expression crosses her face for barely a second. Then Setsuna smiles again, brighter than before. "I want you to keep in mind that you cannot control everything. Things will go wrong, of no fault of your own. Do not be so hard on yourself, idiot."

She pulls her hands from behind her back, revealing a daisy. "Faith. Because you will surely rise above."

Shikamaru blanches. He goes to speak, but Setsuna vanishes in a storm of leaves. "Shushin…?"

* * *

He asks Tsunade later, about a kunoichi named Kamoto Setsuna. They look through the files, but no such kunoichi exists. The greenette had vanished after withdrawing from the academy. Later much to Tsunade's ire, Setsuna had been seen visiting Choji and Hinata in the hospital.

She disappears for another three years.

* * *

A blank masked ANBU stalls Hidan, allowing Shikamaru and his team to withdraw. Shikamaru recognizes the hair, _her_ green hair whipping wildly around. Regardless, he is thankful. Asuma starts coughing blood half way back to the village, and his spontaneous wound won't heal. He drops dead shortly after.

* * *

Shimura Danzo couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong with Agent Mouse. She has become a liability, almost _trying_ to expose him. Acting directly against orders, yet somehow avoiding the seal. That wouldn't do at all.

Mice breed quickly, so he better set out some traps before they overrun him.

* * *

After the war, Ibiki comes across mention of a splinter group in ROOT, lead by Agent Mouse and Agent Rabbit. They had reportedly sabotaged and tried to expose ROOT for what it was. Summarily, they were found out and executed. The true names of Mouse and Rabbit had long been lost. No

No one knew who "Usagi" and "Nezumi" were, yet their names are carved into the monument stone.

* * *

Shikamaru lights four incense. One for Shikaku. One for Asuma. One for Neji, and the last for Setsuna.


End file.
